I am always a sucker for Katie Reus. Before you get into it, definitely be aware it is a novella. Which means it is fast-paced and to the point. I thought it was a really fun, enjoyable, and quick read. Elliana is as tough as they come and she has been observing (read that as spying on him while changing) her very attractive neighbor. When she decides that she would like to stop looking at him from afar and get a close up look, Elliana walks right into a situation. Theo is a hitman and she walks in right after he has carried out a hit.

The two of them are hilarious with their banter and their chemistry is definitely heated. Things only escalate as a hit has been put out on Elliana and Theo decides the best way to keep her safe is if he kidnaps her while they try to figure out what is going on. Even Katie Reus's full-length novels don't take me long to devour, so this one went really fast being a novella. There were plenty of major plot events happening and characters to get to know. I'm hoping that we will see more of the characters in future novels.

Usually, I feel like her novellas are directly related to a bigger series. While all of the plot points were resolved within this novella, there is definitely enough going on to have at least one full-length novels. So I'm going to sit back, wait, and hope that we will see more of the characters mentioned here!

I think this is about to be the most unhelpful and confusing review... but here we go.

This was a 2.5 stars rounded up for me. I didn't like this nor did I hate it. There were some positive aspects - a Christmas romance mixed with murder/thriller-ish, right up my alley! I found the pacing to be pretty good, and I enjoyed reading about some of the sweet friendships that the FMC had and enjoyed the fact this was a short novel (maybe that speaks a bit to the story).

But then, there were quite a few parts of this that gave me the 'ick'.

I preface the next part of my review with I have never read a dark romance (unless you count mindf*ck, which I don't because it's totally a crime thriller), so this is a completely uneducated opinion, a bit of a guess or a vibe so please feel free to educate me... I also have nothing against dark romance or dark romance readers - I think this borders on what I imagine would be classified as 'dark romance' and because of this I think there will be a lot of readers who will enjoy it. The reason I think it's a bit outside of just the 'romance' genre and more leaning towards 'dark' (again, never read so take this with a grain of salt) is because there are just so many morally grey decisions, actions, everything! It gave me the creeps a bit just reading some of things that were going on in this book. Interestingly, if the morally grey decision making is why Mindf*ck is considered dark romance, then maybe it's because of the genders in each... I don't know.

As to whether I'd recommend this to other readers, I also don't know. If you like Christmas romances and hitman or murder themes, then you may enjoy it but just be cautious going in because parts may just not be enjoyable to read if you're anything like me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Anticipated publication date: 24 October 2023 (today!)

Please check online for TW and CW.

I loved Theo and Elliana. Elliana is an ex-marine and expert on explosives and uses her drone to spy on her hot neighbor Theo in which he is a hitman, she doesn't know it initially. She goes to his house to talk to him and appears upon a murder scene (Theo kills bad guys as a hit man). His parents also hitmen, knows about Elliana and sends the hit to Theo. Well he kidnaps her to protect her and find out who wants her dead. This was also funny and its the perfect start to read holiday romance. I really enjoyed this one.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

What a fun twist of a holiday romance with a murder mystery, I need more of these in my holiday readings. I loved the banter and chemistry between Elliana and Theo, bonus that Elliana is a kick butt heroine! I had to stop and research that this wasn't the second book in a series, when it first starts out you feel as if you should have known more about these characters. It's not, but be ready for that, once you keep reading it all works out. A fun fast read that you can just read for enjoyment.

Elliana is a tough cookie who absolutely despises Christmas. So of course her super hot neighbor loves all things holiday. I loved this take on the grumpy/sunshine relationship and absolutely loved their banter!
The murder-y twist was also a much welcomed change from the usual holiday romance novels out there. I really hope we'll get to see more of Elli and Theo in a second story!
This was a quick read and had me laughing out loud several times, which isnt something I usually get from a holiday romance.

This first book in this new series was so much fun to read, witty dialog and characters, hot romance and a story I couldn’t put down! Former Marine and explosives and security expert Elliana Reed hates Christmas. Unfortunately, her new hot neighbor, Theo Contos, loves Christmas (and going without a shirt). He also has an unusual occupation; he is a hitman! She learned this the hard way and it was too late to run; will she be his next “hit”? Theo has been watching her as much as she has been watching him and he only wants to keep her safe, especially when he learns that there is a “hit” scheduled on her. She has no idea who would want to kill her, but she finally accepts his help to figure it out together. He, along with his fellow “hit-persons”, devise a plan to flush the hired hitman out, but will this end the threat? Will she finally find the family she yearns for and to appreciate the holiday season with her favorite hitman? So fun, loved it!!! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

2.75/3 ⭐⭐⭐

This novella offers a quirky twist on romance during the holidays. Elliana, a software billionaire who is a bit of a peeping Tom (LOL, always spying on her hot neighbor), realizes that her neighbor, Theo, is not just a charming guy with "golden retriever energy" but also a hitman. Things take a quick turn when he kidnaps her for her own protection after she discovers he has a hostage in his home.

These characters are definitely unhinged. The story is very fast-paced and quick. Sanity and rationality are in short supply, making the narrative a wild ride. There were lots of info-dumping conversations for how fast-paced it was.

I did not really catch the holiday vibe in this one; I felt like it was more the time of year than part of the plot. It was definitely fun but not super "suspenseful". This may have been better for me if it were actually a full-length novel.

Overall, it's a quick, fun read but not my favorite recently.

This review is based on an uncorrected e-galley of this novel.

This book was funny. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be funny, but I laughed out loud at times. I felt like the plot was very rushed, especially the actual hitman plot, but this was also an incredibly short read and didn't take much time at all. If you're looking for something funny and a mostly clean romance, give this one a try.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an e-ARC of this novel.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amusing and serious at the same book

who doesnt like christmas .... explosive expert Elliana hates it with a passion

but at the moment all of her attention is on the her next door neighbour who she is spying on and he knows it... not only does he know but he also strips naked for her ...and she cant stop watching

things get a bit weird when she goes round to his place with a gift for christmas and discovers that he is about to murder someone

can she outrun him....

this has to be the funniest christmas short story i have ever read plus its very action packed with assassins and hitmen coming out of the woodwork

looking forward to reading more from this author

Really fun Christmas romance with a bit of a difference. It’s kinda weird to find yourself rooting for a romance when one of the characters is a hit man…but somehow it worked!
Can’t say the writing blew me away. But a great short read for the festive season.

What a good story for the holidays. It was exciting and highly entertaining. The romance only added to the story.

4.5⭐

Meet Elliana who has been spying on her hot neighbour for months, using her favourite drone to watch him undress and workout Elliana is definitely smitten. 

And her neighbour Theo knows it. In fact he likes to put on a show just for her. So when Elliana arrives on his doorstep with a Christmas hamper in hand even though she hates Christmas. Theo is delighted, or he would be if not for the guy he's holding hostage in his house.

Which unfortunately means he has to temporarily hold Elliana hostage too. Just so he can deal with the situation he's found himself in.

But Elliana is wily and manages to escape back home.

Only she doesn't call the police instead, she just continues to watch Theo because Theo has a very interesting story to tell and it's a story that ends up saving her life. 

And with the perfect amount of suspense, humour, heat and sweetness. This was a truly enjoyable and quirky Christmas romance, and I genuinely can't wait to read more from this series in the future. 

I would also happily recommend How the Hitman Stole Christmas to others.

This is the the most original holiday rom com I’ve read in years. We have a Christmas loving hitman being stalked by a former marine who hates the holiday season. It’s hilarious, over the top outrageous and so much fun! I found myself chuckling from start to finish at the dialogue and all the crazy antics. My only wish is that it had been longer as I didn’t want the novella to end!

Great blend of humor, chemistry, and action! The premise is pretty hilarious, but the story quickly takes root with hit men not being an outlandish idea, and in fact, they are necessary for safety! Theo and Elli are a fun couple who embrace their unique interactions and build off of that. The family dynamics were fascinating and showcased the differences in family of birth and of choosing. The neighborhood of friends being hitmen was a great detail that gave me some fun visuals. This was a quick and fun read. I was smiling or chuckling throughout and loved seeing the ending.

Omg I loved this so much! Not usually the biggest fan of Christmas books but this hit different.

The way that Theo came swooping in and took care of Elliana, making her fall for him instantly was so good! Even though Elliana had other plans.

If you like your book men morally gray you need to read this!

I loved the premise of the book. I didn't love the execution quite as much. Elliana and Theo definitely have chemistry but their whole relationship felt rushed, even with the understanding that he was putting on naughty shows for her from the house next door for close to a year. Theo's Dexter-inspired character is interesting in his moral ambiguity. Elliana is portrayed as okay with his job because she was a soldier and explosives expert. I would think these qualities would make her less willing to accept a hitman as a romantic partner. The whole hit on her seemed a bit contrived, especially with who ends up being behind it. That said, there was amusing banter and good steamy scenes and Theo's parents were very entertaining.

3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this book. The opinions herein are my own.

Elli has been drone stalking her hot next door boyfriend and finally decides to introduce herself only to realize he's just murdered someone. But he's hot so it's ok ;).

This is a super cute, sexy, fun Christmas novella that is a must read for the season.

This book is short and to the point which I like, but would have also read it had it been twice as long. I loved the characters and hope to see more of them in future books.

Thank you NetGalley. KR Press, LLC and Katie Reus for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anti Christmas weapons expert Elliana has been spending evenings watching her neighbor’s strip show that he puts on just for her. When she finally works up the courage to speak with him, she’s in for quite the surprise. Her neighbor is in the middle of committing a murder, no big deal, the guy deserved it, at least according to her neighbor. Things get even more tricky when a hit is taken out against Elliana. Her neighbor decides to kidnap her for her own good and chaos ensues as they try to keep Elliana safe.

Rues has crafted a wildly entertaining holiday romance. This was a nice quick read, which I appreciated. Given the page length, the story is to the point with consistent action. This was a nice change of pace whereas other stories can feel drawn out at times. Although, parts of the relationship development felt rushed. Theo was the perfect sunshiny cinnamon roll to grumpy Elliana. His attempts at bringing back Elliana’s Christmas cheer were so wholesome and sweet especially his decorating attempt on the yacht. It was also exciting to see Elliana’s character growth and watch her change throughout the story particularly in how she opens up to Theo’s family. As expected, the chemistry between Theo and Elliana is intense. How can it not be when their interactions started through strip drone shows?! If you’re in the mood for a fun holiday romance, I definitely recommend picking this up. I can’t wait to see where the next book goes.

Morally gray catnip.

A match made in morally gray heaven. Yup. I had so much fun with this book! Elliana is hot, smart, anti-social (at the moment) a former Marine, a hacker and is stalking her hot neighbor. Her hot neighbor is Theo, an assasin for hire who she witnessed offing someone. Theo is smitten with Elliana. He never thought he'd meet someone who was down for profession and she seems kind of ok with the whole morally gray aspect of it. She was a Marine, after all.

These two are sweet, funny, naughty, hot and fully capable (guns, zipties, drones) and perfect for each other, even though Theo is now intent on saving Elliana from another baddie. I liked that Theo's parents are assasins. Elliana is a grinch to Theo's all in on Christmas.

For every pot, there is a lid. And I was so glad to read How the Hitman Stole Christmas.
Recommend for a fun, flirty, morally gray read.

When your hot neighbor whom you've been sorta stalking turns out to be a hitman who is also stalking you cuz he's into you...this holiday season is about to get crazy, and theres also the tiny teeny fact that someone put a hit out on you. Elliana is an ex-Marines explosives expert who hates Christmas. Her favorite thing to do is to watch her sexy neighbor through her drone while he has knowingly started putting on strip shows and more for her. Yet when she finally musters up the courage to talk to him after a year of watching, she stumbles in on him mid-murder. Theo is a hitman, he kills bad guys, and he also has a huge crush on the hot blonde next door that's been watching him. Theo loves Christmas and what better Christmas gift this year than to finally talk to his sexy neighbor...except she accidentally stumbles in on him mid murder of a bad guy... but she doesn't narc so he still has a chance right? Things take a turn when Theo discovers someone put a hit out on Elliana and decides now is the perfect time to get to know her. Now they'll both have to work together to figure out who wants to kill her and also finally face the year of stalking each other to see if they really do have a shot at romance. This is a short and funny rom com with a bit of holiday fun and morally grey shenanigans. Great for anyone looking for a quick funny holiday rom com.

*Thanks Netgalley and KR Press, LLC for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*